Bracteantha plant named &#39;Helisbraliyel&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Bracteantha  plant particularly distinguished by its upright and rounded plant habit, good field performance, long narrow dark green colored leaves, freely flowering with numerous inflorescences per plant, and daisy-type inflorescences with semi double bright yellow flowers.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Bracteantha bracteata

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Helisbraliyel’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new distinct variety of Straw Daisy plant, botanically known as Bracteantha bracteata and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘Helisbraliyel.’

The new Bracteantha is propagated by cuttings resulting from a cross-pollination of a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as ‘B468-1,’ as the female, or seed, parent and a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as ‘C3404-1,’ as the male, or pollen, parent. Seed of this cross-pollination was harvested in 2002 and the new variety ‘Helisbraliyel’ was selected in 2003 as one of the plants of this population. Breeder's code of the new plant is ‘E0242-1.’

This new plant is an annual. The new variety is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. The new cultivar ‘Helisbraliyel’ is heat tolerant, compact, and flowers throughout the summer. ‘Helisbraliyel’ was asexually reproduced by cuttings for 3 years now and trialled under different conditions in Europe. It has retained its distinctive characteristics through successive propagation and is firmly fixed. The new variety reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Bracteantha has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Helisbrayel’ and distinguish the new Bracteantha as a new and distinct variety:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and rounded plant habit     -   2. Freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy         plant habit.     -   3. Early flowering     -   4. Freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per         plant.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with about 8 whorls bright         yellow-colored ray florets and many yellow-colored disc florets.

6. Dark green foliage with narrow width and high length. TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘HELISBRALIYEL’ AND TWO SIMILAR VARIETIES ‘Mohave ‘Mohave Golden Sun Yellow’ Yellow’ ‘Helisbraliyel’ (not patented) (not patented) Plant height 30 cm 20 cm 15 cm Plant width 50 cm 40 cm 30 cm Nr of whorls 8 8 5 in flower Leaf length Up to 12 cm Up to 9.5 cm Up to 9 cm Leaf width Up to 1 cm Up to 2 cm Up to 2 cm Flower color 9A, outer 14A, outer 9A, outer whorls 26A whorls 12A whorls 26A

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new Bracteantha plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color shown being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new Bracteantha plant. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 30 week old plants, grown in the open field in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands with day temperatures ranging from 16-30° Celsius, and night temperatures ranging from 10-16° Celsius.

Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

-   The plant:     -   -   Classification — botanical.—Bracteantha bracteata. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary seedling Bracteantha bracteata,             ‘B468-1,’ not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling Bracteantha bracteata,             ‘C3404-1,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cuttings.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to intiated roots.—7-10 days at air temperature of 21             degrees C.         -   Time to develop roots.—7-14 days at air temperature of 18             degrees C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, relatively fine, white in color.         -   Rooting description.—Freely branching, dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Growth habit.—Upright and rounded shape.         -   Plant height.—30 cm.         -   Vigor.—Vigorous upright.         -   Spreading area of plant.—About 50 cm.         -   Strength.—Very strong.         -   Branching character.—Freely branching, plants do not require             pinching. Commonly develops approximately 11 lateral             branches.         -   Crop time.—About 9 weeks are required to produce a finished             flowering plant in a 10.5 cm container from a good developed             cutting. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—Up to 35 cm.         -   Diameter.—7 mm.         -   Shape.—Round.         -   Anthocyanin pigmentation.—Absent.         -   Texture.—Hirsute.         -   Length of internode.—0.5-3.5 cm.         -   Pubescence.—Absent.         -   Color.—Old stem 146C; young stem 145B. -   The foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Shape of leaf.—Ensiform.         -   Leaf.—Apex: Acute Base: Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Length.—Up to 12 cm.         -   Width.—Up to 1 cm.         -   Color.—Upper side: Old leaf 137C; young leaf darker than             144A Lower side: Old leaf 147B; young leaf 146B.         -   Venation.—Pubescence: Midvein bit pubescent Color: Old leaf:             upper and lower side 146D; Young leaf: upper and lower side             146D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Disc and ray florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum. Inflorescences held upright and outwardly on             terminal and axillary peduncles. Inflorescences positioned             perpendicular to the peduncles.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             from Spring to early Fall in N-W Europe; plants flower             freely continuous during this period. Flowers keep esthetic             value up to 40 days. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Peduncle.—Length: 0.5-11.0 cm Diameter: 2 mm Strength:             Strong Aspect: Erect Texture: Slightly pubescent Color:             146C.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: 1.7 cm Diameter: 1.4 cm Shape:             Ovoid Color: 167A at base; 12A at tip with N167B stripes. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—Diameter: 4 cm Depth: 1.3 cm.         -   Diameter of disc.—1.6 cm.         -   Form.—Double, composite, persistent inflorescences. -   Involucre/phyllaries:     -   -   Quantity.—About 8 whorls, total approx. 70 ray florets.         -   Aspect.—Flat.         -   Appearance.—Smooth, papery.         -   Shape.—Ligulate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Texture.—Smooth glabrous.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Length.—Up to 1.7 cm.         -   Width.—Up to 6 mm.         -   Color.—Upper and lower side: color varies between 21A for             outer whorls and 9A for inner whorls.         -   Fragrance.—Absent. -   Disc florets:     -   -   Arrangement.—Massed at the center of the inflorescence.         -   Shape of disc florets.—Tubular with small hairs, approx. 26             hairs of 6 mm long; color of hairs 155D.         -   Color disc floret.—Immature: 1B Mature: 17A.         -   Disc floret.—Diameter: 0.5 mm Length: 7 mm.         -   Quantity per inflorescence.—Numerous, ±300. -   Androecium:     -   -   Pollen color.—21A. -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Stigma.—Color: 21A Shape: Bilobed. -   Seed/fruit:     -   -   Seed.—Present Length: 3 mm Diameter: 1 mm Shape: Tubular             Color: 165A. -   Disease resistance: Neither susceptibility nor resistance to fungal,     bacterial or viral pathogens has been noted. -   Temperature/weather tolerance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have     been observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and to temperatures from     10° C. to 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct variety of Bracteantha plant, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 